Discrimination of Bacillus anthracis from closely related microorganisms by analysis of 16S and 23S rRNA with oligonucleotide microchips

ABSTRACT

The present invention is directed to a novel method of discriminating a highly infectious bacterium  Bacillus anthracis  from a group of closely related microorganisms. Sequence variations in the 16S and 23S rRNA of the  B. cereus  subgroup including  B. anthracis  are utilized to construct an array that can detect these sequence variations through selective hybridizations. The identification and analysis of these sequence variations enables positive discrimination of isolates of the  B. cereus  group that includes  B. anthracis . Discrimination of single base differences in rRNA was achieved with a microchip during analysis of  B. cereus  group isolates from both single and in mixed probes, as well as identification of polymorphic sites. Successful use of a microchip to determine the appropriate subgroup classification using eight reference microorganisms from the  B. cereus  group as a study set, was demonstrated.

This application claims priority to co-pending U.S. Ser. No. 60/336,319 filed Nov. 2, 2001 and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 10/212,476 filed Aug. 5, 2002 which is a divisional of U.S. Ser. No. 09/261,115 filed Mar. 3, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,458,584, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 08/780,026 filed on Dec. 23, 1996, now abandoned.

The United States Government has rights in this invention under Contract No. W-31-109-ENG-38 between the U.S. Department of Energy and the University of Chicago representing Argonne National Laboratory.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Methods and compositions are provided for the detection of Bacillus anthracis from closely related microorganisms of the B. cereus group, and to distinguish and classify the B. cereus group. A customized, analytical oligonucleotide microchip incorporating 16S and 23S rRNA-targeted nucleic acid probes, is used for the detection of B. anthracis and discrimination.

BACKGROUND

Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of the highly infectious disease anthrax, belongs to the Bacillus cereus group, which also contains six other closely related species: Bacillus cereus, Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus mycoides, Bacillus pseudomycoides, Bacillus weihenstephanensis and Bacillus medusa. A variety of methods have been reported for the selective identification of B. anthracis. These include direct testing of bacterial DNA with specific probes, PCR amplification followed by an in-tube assay, PCR with subsequent electrophoretic analysis of length variation among ribosomal operons, ribotyping, amplified fragment length polymorphisms, methods of analysis using plasmid and chromosomal sequences, PCR-ELISA, on chip PCR amplification of anthrax toxin genes, detection of unique polysaccharides and other biomarkers on B. anthracis cell surface with mass spectrometry, immunological recognition of spores and vegetative cells and determination of phenotypic characteristics. The main goal of the various methods is rapid and inexpensive detection of this extremely pathogenic microorganism so that containment, destruction of the pathogens and treatment are facilitated.

Hybridization analysis of 16S rRNA is a method of microbial identification. The 16S rRNA molecule is suitable for use as a target for microbial identification and detection. Although conserved in sequence overall, the 16S rRNAs actually exhibit significant variation in some regions. These differences in 16S rRNA sequences provide the basis for the design of nucleic acid probes of varying specificity, ranging from probes targeting all living organisms, to group-specific and species-specific probes. Another advantage of using the rRNAs as a target is the fact that these molecules are naturally amplified within the cell. In general, rRNA represents about 80% of total nucleic acids in microbial cells, and thus is present in many hundreds and thousands of copies per cell. This natural amplification allows for direct detection of rRNA sequences without the need for intermediate amplification via PCR.

The main limitations of current hybridization techniques in general are that they are time consuming and limited in terms of the number of probes which can be analyzed simultaneously. Oligonucleotide microchip technology is a rapid and high throughput platform for nucleic acid hybridization reactions. Moreover, a universal mini-column (syringe-operated silica mini-column) for nucleic acid isolation, fractionation, fragmentation, fluorescent labeling, and purification, as well as an inexpensive, portable fluorescent analyzer for hybridization imaging was reported. Using the prototype mini-column, oligonucleotide microchip and portable imager, hybridization patterns from both microbial and human cells were detected in less than 60 minutes.

Current detection techniques for B. anthracis identification such as PCR, electrophoretic analysis, PCR-ELISA, and mass-spectrometry require a considerable amount of time, are expensive, and are generally limited by the number of probes analyzed. Moreover, some of these detection techniques are incapable of discriminating closely related isolates, especially isolates that are differentiated by as little as a single base change in DNA or RNA. In addition to being expensive and time-consuming, many of these methods are not portable. The present invention is designed to address many of the problems mentioned above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to methods and compositions for using nucleotide sequence variations of 16S and 23S rRNA within the B. cereus group to discriminate B. anthracis from closely related microorganisms. The existence of sequence variability within the B. cereus group was useful to consistently determine the identity of B. cereus isolates including B. anthracis. To accomplish this goal a set of 16S and 23S rRNA targeted oligonucleotide probes was designed to discriminate among the seven subgroups within B. cereus, and in particular to discriminate B. anthracis from other members in the B. cereus group. The sequences for these probes were selected so that they are complementary to target rRNA sequences. These probes were incorporated into an oligonucleotide microchip. Feasibility of discrimination of single base differences in rRNA was demonstrated with this microchip during analysis of B. cereus group isolates from both single and mixed cultures. Rapid, selective identification of B. anthracis from a mixture of closely related microorganisms has valuable application in diagnosis and epidemiological monitoring.

A method for detecting a particular isolate of B. cereus subgroups, including B. anthracis in a sample, includes the steps of:

-   -   (a) Placing on a microchip oligonucleotide probes targeted to         rRNA sequences, that discriminate the B. cereus subgroups.     -   (b) Providing conditions for hybridization of the probes with         rRNA from the sample.     -   (c) Analyzing hybridization signals in the microchip from which         the particular isolate is detected.

The oligonucleotide probes are directed to 16S rRNA or 23S rRNA.

The probes may be labeled, e.g. with a fluorescent dye.

A microarray with oligonucleotide probes selected from a group of sequences designated:

Oligonucleotide Name 5′ to 3′ Sequence ps1 GAGCGAATGGATTAAGAGCT (SEQ ID NO: 1) ps2 GAGCGAATGGATTgAGAGCT (SEQ ID NO: 2) ps3 AGCTTGCTCTTATGAAGTTA (SEQ ID NO: 3) ps4 AGCTTGCTCTcAaGAAGTTA (SEQ ID NO: 4) ps5 TGCTCTTATGAAGTTAGCGG (SEQ ID NO: 5) ps6 TGCTCTcAaGAAGTTAGCGG (SEQ ID NO: 6) ps7 CATTTTGAACCGCATGGTTC (SEQ ID NO: 7) ps8 CATTTTGAACtGCATGGTTC (SEQ ID NO: 8) ps9 CATTTTGAACCGCATGGTTC (SEQ ID NO: 9) ps10 CATTTTGcACCGCATGGTgC (SEQ ID NO: 10) ps11 AACCGCATGGTTCGAAATTG (SEQ ID NO: 11) ps12 CACCGCATGGTgCGAAATTc (SEQ ID NO: 12) ps13 ATGGTTCGAAATTGAAAGGC (SEQ ID NO: 13) ps14 ATGGTgCGAAATTcAAAGGC (SEQ ID NO: 14) ps15 GAAATTGAAAGGCGGCTTCG (SEQ ID NO: 15) ps16 GAAATTcAAAGGCGGCTTCG (SEQ ID NO: 16) ps17 CATCCTCTGACAACCCTAGA (SEQ ID NO: 17) ps18 CATCCTCTGAaAACCCTAGA (SEQ ID NO: 18) ps19 GCTTCTCCTTCGGGAGCAGA (SEQ ID NO: 19) ps20 GCTTCcCCTTCGGGgGCAGA (SEQ ID NO: 20) ps21 TTATCGTGAAGGCTGAGCTG (SEQ ID NO: 21) ps22 TTATCGTaAAGGCTGAGCTG (SEQ ID NO: 22) ps23 TGATACC-AATGGTATCAGTG (SEQ ID NO: 23) ps24 TGATACCgAATGGTATCAGTG (SEQ ID NO: 24) Lower case letters refer to positions of mismatches (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

The oligonucleotides may be arranged in pairs in specific patterns, for example, a customized microchip wherein I, II, III and IV are columns and A, B, C, D, E, and F are rows in the microchip design as follows:

I II III IV A ps19 ps20 ps7 ps8 B ps15 ps16 ps3 ps4 C ps9  ps10 ps5 ps6 D ps13 ps14 ps1 ps2 E ps11 ps12 — — F — —  ps17  ps18

A diagnostic kit to detect B. anthracis target rRNA in a sample, includes in separate compartments:

-   -   (a) A microchip that comprises at least one oligonucleotide         probe to distinguish variations among B. cereus group isolates.     -   (b) Means for detecting hybridization between the probes and a         target rRNA by which B. anthracis is detected.

A customized microchip is shown in FIG. 8, wherein oligonucleotides are selected from those listed in Table 5.

A method for taxonomically classifying B. cereus group includes the steps of:

-   -   (a) developing strain- and subgroup-specific signature profiles         of 16S and 23S rRNA sequences for B. cereus group isolates; and     -   (b) using the signature profiles to construct phylogenetic trees         in order to classify the various B. cereus group isolates.

An isolate is a particular genetic variant of a species. If one isolate is known, then it defines the species. However, there can be many different isolates of one species, isolated for example, from different patients or different parts of the world.

Sample includes biological samples such as blood, skin, bodily fluids and tissues and environmental samples such as air, food, water and soil.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 illustrates the positions of subgroup-specific sequence differences in the 16S rRNA gene of B. cereus subgroups (A) (SEQ ID NOS 122-142) and reference microorganisms used for microchip testing (B) (SEQ ID NOS 143-166). The sequence of B. anthracis Ames ANR was used as the consensus sequence. Sequences which are complementary to the probes on a microchip and their locations on the 16S rRNA are also shown (bold letters denote target nucleotides). The names of the probes (example, ps1) are shown to the left of each of the sequences (SEQ ID NOS 1-20). The target species for each of the probes are indicated to the left of the parenthesis.

FIG. 2 illustrates the positions of subgroup-specific sequence differences in the 23S rRNA. The sequence of B. anthracis Ames ANR was used as the consensus sequence. Arrows indicate regions containing subgroup-specific signatures. Sequences complementary to the probes and their locations on the 23S rRNA are also shown (bold letters denote target nucleotides). The names of the probes (example, ps21) are shown to the left of the sequences (SEQ ID NOS 21-24). R=G, or A; Y=T, or C.

FIG. 3 illustrates the phylogenetic trees of (A) 16S and (B) 23S rRNA genes of bacteria in B. cereus group. Analysis was performed done using the multiple sequence alignment computer program “Clustalx” (ftp://ftp-igbmc.u-strausbg.fr/pub/clustalx/), and “Clustlaw” (http://www.ebi.ac.uk/clustlaw). Asterisks indicate the reference microorganisms which were used.

FIG. 4 illustrates the identification of reference microorganisms and subgroups to which they belong in the B. cereus group with a 16S rRNA oligonucleotide microchip. Total RNA from reference microorganisms was isolated, fluorescently labeled with Texas Red, and hybridized with a microchip bearing 20 bases of oligonucleotides as described in MATERIALS AND METHODS. Positions of the probes and targeted subgroups (in rectangles) are indicated in the upper left corner. Members of the targeted subgroup form perfect matches with probes indicated with arrows. For probe abbreviations see FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 illustrates the identification of single-base polymorphisms (A) and differentiation of Cereus A subgroup bacteria (B. thuringiensis B8 and B. cereus 1414) from organisms of Anthracis subgroup (B. anthracis Ames) (B), using hybridization of fluorescently labeled total RNA from B. cereus group bacteria to probes targeting the 23S rRNA. R=G, or A. Probe signal ratio was calculated as the average from 2-4 experiments.

FIG. 6 illustrates the identification of 16S rRNA of (A) B. anthracis Ames in a mixture (3:2) with B. cereus NCTC9620 16S rRNA and (B) B. thuringiensis B8 (B. anthracis mimic) 16S rRNA mixed with B. thuringiensis 4Q281 16S rRNA in the ratio 1:10. Total RNA of the studied bacteria was isolated, fluorescently labeled as described in MATERIALS AND METHODS, mixed in the above mentioned proportions, and hybridized with oligonucleotide microchip. For probe abbreviations shown on the left and right sides of panels, see FIG. 1. Bold numbers indicate the ratio of integrated fluorescent signals after hybridization.

FIG. 7 illustrates the identification of microbial groups using a 16S rRNA oligonucleotide microchip. A microchip containing oligonucleotides ps25 and ps26 targeting the B. cereus group (5′-CGGTCTTGCAGCTCTTTGTA-3′) (SEQ ID NO: 25) and the B. subtilis group (5′-ATTCCAGCTTCACGCAGTC-3′) (SEQ ID NO: 26), respectively. Microchips were hybridized with fluorescently labeled total RNA of the corresponding microorganisms. Ratios of integrated fluorescent signals are shown in the far right column.

FIG. 8 is a map of a microchip with molecules in positions designated by squares, that have sequences in accord with those in Table 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Aspects of the invention include:

-   -   1. microchips designed to detect a particular isolate of B.         cereus subgroup, including B. anthracis based on sequence         variations in the 16S and 23S rRNAs; the sequence variations are         chosen so that hybridization signals discriminate a particular         isolate from other closely related organisms; using at least one         mismatched sequence; and     -   2. methods for improved taxonomic classification and detection         of B. cereus group isolates based on individual strain         variations of 16S and 23S rRNA sequences.

The microchips of the present invention overcome some of the limitations of current hybridization techniques to detect B. anthracis. The microchip-based detection of variations in rRNA sequences is rapid, reliable, and capable of high throughput. Additionally, small sequence variations such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) among closely related isolates can be effectively discriminated with the microchip disclosed in the present invention. Because rRNA-based hybridization does not require PCR amplification, a direct and efficient method of detection is possible with microchips. Hybridization signals can be analyzed by an inexpensive fluorescent analyzer, which is also portable. This portability coupled with the ease of detecting B. anthracis, a highly infectious agent render the current invention a valuable tool for public health safety measures.

The present invention also discloses variations of 16S and 23S rRNA sequences among B. cereus isolates. These sequence variations are essential to correctly classify closely related microorganisms. Thorough analysis of 16S and 23S rRNA sequence variations in B. cereus group isolates revealed certain subgroup- and strain-specific signatures that aid in the grouping of closely related isolates. Correct classification of these isolates is important to identify the close relationships and to develop better analytical methods to discriminate among the isolates. For example, appropriate clustering of subgroup-specific sequence variants of the present invention provides the basis for the design of a number of diagnostic oligonucleotide probes to discriminate each of the subgroups within the B. cereus group.

Diagnostic kits to discriminate B. anthracis from closely related microorganisms include:

-   -   (a) At least one microchip that includes at least one         oligonucleotide probe that is discriminating, usually         distinguishing among related organisms by at least one mismatch         between target rRNA sequences. Suitable probes are those in         Table 5;     -   (b) Means for detecting hybridization signals between labeled         RNA and oligonucleotides on the microchip.

Means for detecting hybridization signals include a fluorescence microscope equipped with a CCD camera or a laser scanner. Reagents for isolating total RNA include nucleic-acid spin columns (Bavykin et al., 2001) and GITC-based RNA extraction reagents. Fluorescent dyes such as LissRhod (Lissamine™ rhodamine B ethylenediamine; Cat # L2424PO Molecular Probes Eugene, Oreg.) and cyanine dyes (Glen Research Inc., Sterling, Va.) can be used to label rRNA molecules isolated from microorganisms.

Customized oligonucleotide microchips are aspects of the invention. The microchip includes a matrix support, which can be made from elements such as glass, and polyacrylamide. An embodiment of a microchip is:

-   -   (a) ten pairs of oligonucleotide probes that target 16S rRNA         sequences and two pairs of oligonucleotide probes targeting 23S         rRNA sequences; the oligonucleotides are synthesized to include         a 5′-amino-modifier;     -   (b) microchips containing polyacrylamide gel pads with aldehyde         groups; and     -   (c) six nl of individual amino-oligonucleotide solutions in each         gel pad element.

An embodiment of a customized microchip includes an array wherein oligonucleotides are arranged in a specific pattern as in FIG. 8 and sequences of the oligonucleotides are selected from Table 5. Another embodiment of a customized microchip is an array wherein oligonucleotide probes are immobilized in a specific pattern as in FIG. 4 and the probe sequences are selected from FIG. 1B (ps1 through ps20). Using these customized microchips, B. anthracis can be discriminated from other closely related isolates.

Identification of Subgroups and Strains in B. cereus Group with rRNA Probes

Based on 16S rRNA sequence analysis, the B. cereus group was divided into seven subgroups (Anthracis, Cereus A and B, Thuringiensis A and B and Mycoides A and B) each containing microorganisms with similar 16S rRNA gene sequences (FIG. 3A and Table 2). The strains within each subgroup contained all of the sequence variants specific for that subgroup. The 23S rRNA sequencing confirmed these subgroup classifications (FIG. 3B and Table 3). Some of the subgroup-specific signatures, indicated in Table 2, have already been reported for identification of certain Bacillus strains. For example, B. thuringiensis was differentiated from B. cereus based on a sequence difference in region 77-92. However, only isolates from subgroup Thuringiensis B, and not isolates from subgroup Thuringiensis A (FIG. 1 and Table 2), could be differentiated based on this sequence difference. Psychrotolerant strains of B. cereus or B. mycoides have been identified based on differences in regions 182-197 and 1019-1030 of their 16S rRNA sequences, but these signatures describe organisms from subgroup mycoides A only, and not isolates from subgroup mycoides B (FIG. 1 and Table 2). Therefore, systematic analysis of all B. cereus group microorganisms had not been done.

A set of 16S rRNA targeted oligonucleotide probes (FIG. 1) is constructed of 3-D gel pads. These probes were immobilized within a oligonucleotide microchip. This microchip enabled differentiation of B. anthracis Ames (subgroup Anthracis) and B. thuringiensis B8 (subgroup Cereus A) from six reference strains of closely related organisms (B. cereus T, B. thuringiensis 4Q281, B. medusa ATCC25621, B. mycoides ATCC 6462m, B. mycoides ATCC 10206. B. cereus 9620) representing three different subgroups, Cereus B, Thuringiensis B and Mycoides B, respectively. An embodiment of the present invention is a customized microchip capable of identifying organisms of subgroups Thuringiensis A. Comparison of hybridization signals from probe pairs ps1/ps2, ps3/ps4 and ps5/ps6 with signals from pair ps7/ps8 on the microchip (FIG. 1) demonstrated that B. thuringiensis str. 4W1, 4T1, 4F1 and 4D1 belong to subgroup Thuringiensis A, whereas B. thuringiensis str. 4Q1, 4Q2, 4A1 and 4A7 belong to subgroup Thuringiensis B.

Because the RNA sequences of bacteria from the Mycoides A subgroup became available only recently, specific probes were not selected for those microorganisms. However, the microchip in the configuration disclosed herein has the capability to recognize organisms of Mycoides A subgroup. Results of microchip hybridization is similar with subgroup Thuringiensis A organisms, but signals from pairs ps7/ps8, ps9/ps10, and ps11/ps12 (FIG. 1) are considerably decreased in comparison with that one for Thuringiensis A, because of the forming of two additional mismatches for ps7/ps8 and ps9/ps10, and one additional mismatch in the middle of the probes, ps11/ps12. Signals from the probes ps13/ps14 and ps17/18 may be also decreased because of the presence of one additional mismatch in the terminal end of these probes. However, discrimination is easily achieved using regions 120-145, 166-188, 1015-1035 on 16S rRNA and region 366-390 on the 23S rRNA genes as probe targets. Probes for these regions have also been selected and applied on the second generation of microchips for identification f B. cereus group microorganisms (FIG. 8, Table 5).

Another embodiment of the present invention is a method for differentiating microbial strains that differ by only one base in their 16S rRNA molecule both separately (FIG. 4) and in mixtures (FIG. 6). Thus it is possible to identify all strains within the B. cereus group that differ by as little as a single nucleotide change in their rRNA sequences. Based on 16S rRNA sequence differences (Table 2), the microchip also serves to differentiate isolates of subgroup Anthracis and subgroup Cereus A from all other thirty-two studied strains of bacteria in the B. cereus group and to identify which subgroup (Table 2) each microorganism belongs (FIG. 4), even in a 1:10 mixture (FIG. 6B).

Another embodiment of the present invention is to be able to identify B. cereus isolates by the sequence variations in their 23S rRNA. The 23S rRNA gene was sequenced for a selected set of reference strains of the B. cereus group. Isolates from subgroup Cereus A, which has the same 16S rRNA sequence as B. anthracis Ames (FIG. 1 and Table 2), have three changes in the 23S rRNA sequence in comparison with B. anthracis Ames (FIG. 2 and Table 3). B. thuringiensis B8 and B. cereus HER1414 were used to demonstrate that these sites may be utilized for discrimination between subgroups Anthracis and Cereus A (FIG. 5).

Study of site 1559 on the 23S rRNA, where a number of strains revealed single-base changes, demonstrated that the microchip also enabled a single-base polymorphism to be recognized (FIG. 5A).

Previous work has shown that 16S rRNA sequences for B. anthracis Sterne, B. cereus NCDO1771 and B. cereus NCTC 11143 have 99.9-100% similarity (Table 1). However, all three organisms, as well as other isolates that belong to Cereus A subgroup, are differentiated using subgroup-specific signatures, or strain-specific variations and a combination of 16S and 23S rRNA-targeted probes (Tables 2 and 3). False negative identifications, are not expected i.e. will effectively recognize the presence of B. anthracis. Some false positive identifications occurred, i.e. mistaken identification of B. anthracis strains that list their virulence as B. anthracis. However, for the identification of a species, which produces a toxin as hazardous as anthrax, a small number of false positive reactions is preferable to any false negative signals.

Therefore, the microchips (FIG. 4 and FIG. 8) is capable of discriminating all seven subgroups of the B. cereus group, and thus microchip analysis of ribosomal RNA serves as a powerful tool for identification of B. cereus group bacteria.

Taxonomy of the B. cereus Group

The results of analysis of 16S and 23S rRNA sequences show some disagreement with the current taxonomic classification of species within the B. cereus group. Traditionally, classification of microorganisms in the B. cereus group has been based on morphological, physiological, and immunological data. However, some data suggests that there may be some difficulties with these classification schemes. B. thuringiensis has been traditionally distinguished from B. cereus by the production of a parasporal crystal of a protein that is toxic for Lepidoptera, Diptera and Coleoptera larvae. The capacity to form crystals is plasmid-encoded, however, the plasmid may be lost by laboratory culturing. Moreover, authentic cultures of B. cereus and B. anthracis can acquire the ability to produce crystals as a result of growing in mixed culture with B. thuringiensis. Thus, the discrimination of B. cereus from B. thuringiensis is a difficult task by any method, and the fact that they have grouped together in the present analysis is not surprising. At the same time, some B. thuringiensis strains may be moved (reassigned) after resequencing their 16S rRNA from subgroup Cereus B to subgroup Thuringiensis B, which differ from each other by only one subgroup-specific signature C/T(192) (Table 2).

Sporadic loss of the ability to form rhizoid colonies has been observed in several strains of B. mycoides, indicating an instability of morphology in this species. DNA relatedness studies have indicated that the species B. mycoides actually consists of two genetically distinct groups. The fact that methods and compositions of the present invention place B. mycoides strains into two subgroups, Mycoides A and Mycoides B, supports this finding. Bacterial strains can also undergo physiological changes after the loss or acquisition of plasmids coding for toxins, sporulation, or antibiotic resistance.

According to the present classification scheme (Table 2), four representatives of psychrotolerant strains of B. cereus (WSBC10201, WSBC10204, WSBC10206 and WSBC10210), which were recently named as the new species B. weihenstephanensis, fall under subgroup Mycoides A. This finding suggests that species B. weihenstephanensis may be one of the B. mycoides strains that belongs to the subgroup Mycoides A. This suggestion is confirmed by the high degree of similarity of genomic DNA sequences (85-88%) between B. cereus strains WSBC10201, WSBC10204, and WSBC10206 and B. mycoides DSM2048, which is also located in subgroup Mycoides A. In addition, based on the ability to grow at low temperature, B. mycoides is the most closely related species to B. weihenstephanensis in the B. cereus group.

EXAMPLES Example 1 Sequencing of 16S and 23S rRNA Genes of B. cereus Group Microorganisms

Twelve 16S rRNA and ten 23S rRNA genes were sequenced (Tables 2, 3). There are published sequences available for two of the strains that were sequenced, B. medusa NCIMB 10437 (ATCC 25621) and B. anthracis Sterne. There were some discrepancies between the present sequences and the previously published sequences. The published 16S rRNA sequences of B. anthracis Sterne (GenBank AC: X55059) and B. medusa NCIMB 10437 (GenBank AC X60628) have a deletion of C (942) in comparison with other strains of B. anthracis and B. medusa that were sequenced later (Table 2). This deletion was found neither in the present resequencing of B. anthracis Sterne (GenBank AC: AF176321) and B. medusa ATCC25621 (GenBank AC AF155958), nor in the present and in TIGR sequencing of B. anthracis Ames (GenBank AC:AF267734 and website http://www.tigr.org, respectively). It is likely that the reported deletion was a compression artifact of sequencing of the GC-rich region, i.e. -GGGGCCG- instead of -GGGGCCCG-. The same compression artifact may also have compromised the 16S rRNA sequences of B. cereus NCDO 1771, B. cereus NCTC 11143, B. mycoides DSM 2048 and B. thuringiensis NCIMB 9134 (GenBank AC:X55060 to X55063).

In addition, resequencing of the 16S rRNA gene for B. medusa ATCC 25621, did not reveal the C to T transition at position 192 (presence of T instead of C found in B. anthracis), or the A to G transversion at position 1383 previously reported for B. medusa NCIMB 10437 16S rRNA (Table 2).

Differences were also found in the previously published 23S rRNA sequence of B. anthracis Sterne (GenBank AC: S43426) and the present resequencing of this strain (GenBank AC: AT267877). The differences found were the following: T instead of C in position 491, deletion of CG(1413, 1414), and T instead of C in position 2651. These changes were not found in any other 23S rRNA sequence in B. cereus group, including B. anthracis Ames and B. anthracis DeltaAmes (Table 3). Therefore, it is likely that these differences in B. anthracis Sterne and also the same differences in B. cereus 11143 (GenBank AC X64646) are due to errors in the previously reported sequence.

Example 2 Comparison of 16S and 23S rRNA Sequences in the B. cereus Group

The present analysis indicated that in terms of known 16S and 23S rRNA sequences, B. anthracis was the most homogeneous species within the B. cereus group. This finding confirms PCR fingerprinting studies that demonstrated almost complete homogeneity of B. anthracis bulk DNA. In this work no reliably established variation in the 16S or 23S rRNA sequences was observed within any of the five B. anthracis strains characterized (Tables 2 and 3, FIGS. 1 and 2). Because of this homogeneity, and because B. anthracis is a target organism for the present invention, the B. anthracis 16S and 23S rRNA sequences were used as a reference for reporting differences among closely related bacteria within the B. cereus group (FIGS. 1 and 2, Tables 2 and 3).

The present analysis of 16S rRNA sequences for the other B. cereus group organisms identified six characteristic regions which contained the majority of the sequence differences among members of the groups: position(s) 77-92, 133, 182-208, 286, 1015-1045 and 1464 (FIG. 1 and Table 2). Because sequence variation in these regions can be used to divide the B. cereus group organisms into several large subgroups, the differences located within these regions were termed subgroup-specific signatures. Eighty percent of the strains of B. cereus, B. thuringiensis, B. medusa, B. mycoides, B. pseudomycoides and B. weihenstephanensis (32 of 40 sequences) analyzed contained some subgroup-specific signatures (Table 2) in their 16S rRNA sequences. The most common were C/A (1015) and C/T (192). In addition, a number of other differences were observed, which were termed strain-specific signatures (Table 2). These strain-specific signatures were unique to each strain and were located randomly along the 16S rRNA molecule, i.e., they did occur within the same sites as the subgroup-specific alterations. B. anthracis differed from 37 of the 40 other organisms within the B. cereus group by at least one sequence difference in the 16S rRNA.

Analysis of the 23S rRNA sequences for the B. cereus group organisms revealed thirteen regions within which the majority of the sequence variation occurred (FIG. 2 and Table 3). The differences within these regions are analogous to the subgroup-specific signatures found in the 16S rRNA.

However, due to the limited number of 23S rRNA sequences in the GenBank database, it may be that not all of these differences are subgroup specific. Some of the regions, which appear to contain subgroup-specific variants, may actually contain only strain-specific regions. For example, the Mycoides B subgroup showed five subgroup-specific differences in the 16S rRNA and eleven subgroup-specific differences in 23S rRNA sequences that were not found in other subgroups (FIG. 2). However, available rRNA sequences for the Mycoides B subgroup currently contain only four strains for which 16S rRNA sequences were determined and two strains for 23S rRNA sequences (Table 2, 3). Among them, B. mycoides ATCC6462m and B. mycoides ATCC10206, have identical 16S and 23S rRNA sequences (FIGS. 1 and 2), as well as 16S-23S rRNA spacer, however differed with their colony morphology. If additional members of the Mycoides B subgroup are sequenced and added to the GenBank database, some of the subgroup-specific signatures may be actually strain-specific.

Both the 16S and 23S rRNA sequence sets showed alterations, which were present in a majority of the subgroups. Subgroups Cereus B, Thuringiensis A, Thuringiensis B, and Mycoides A all contained a C/A difference at position 1015 in their 16S rRNA sequences. The most common subgroup specific differences in 23S rRNA sequence occurred at positions 157 and 594 (Table 3, FIG. 2). The presence of these common variants among the subgroups supports a phylogenetic relationship among them.

Example 3 Grouping of Microorganisms in B. cereus Group According to 16S rRNA Sequences

The B. cereus group can be divided into seven subgroups based on 16S rRNA sequence differences (Table 2). Each of these subgroups were identified according to the name of the most common member of the subgroup: Anthracis, Cereus A and B, Thuringiensis A and B, and Mycoides A and B. Based on 16S rRNA sequences, an unrooted phylogenetic tree was also inferred for the B. cereus group using the computer program “Clustalx” (FIG. 3A). Although the affiliations in the tree are generally consistent with those defined by signature analysis (Table 2), these groupings do not correspond exactly to the current taxonomy, which divides the B. cereus group into seven species: B. anthracis, B. cereus, B. thuringiensis, B. medusa, B. mycoides, B. pseudomycoides and B. weihenstephanensis.

The following subgroups were described according to the 16S rRNA sequences (Table 2):

Subgroup Anthracis includes five strains of B. anthracis. These organisms do not contain any reliably established subgroup-specific or strain-specific sequence differences in comparison with the B. anthracis consensus sequence. Subgroup Cereus A includes eight members, which do not contain any subgroup-specific sequence differences from the B. anthracis consensus sequence, however were not classified as B. anthracis by conventional taxonomic methods. Of these strains, four were found to contain strain-specific sequence differences in their 16S rRNA sequences. However, three of other four strains, B. sp. strain JJ#1, B. cereus NCTC11143, and B. thuringiensis B8, were found to have sequences identical to subgroup Anthracis in the region of the 16S rRNA compared (about 100 nucleotides at the 3′-end of the 16S rRNA have not yet been sequenced for two of these three strains (Table 2)). Two strains of the subgroup Cereus A, B. cereus WSBC10037 and B. cereus 10030, have been characterized as mesophilic. As the result of the present invention, B. cereus HER1414, whose 16S rRNA genes are not yet sequenced, was also included in cereus A subgroup on the basis of hybridization with the microchip represented on FIG. 5B.

Subgroup Cereus B includes strains of B. cereus and B. thuringiensis that differ from B. anthracis by a C to A change at position 1015. The strains B. cereus NCTC9620, B. cereus T, B. cereus IAM12605, also named B. cereus 1771, and B. thuringiensis WS2626 do not differ from one another in the 16S rRNA sequence, and thus they would be indistinguishable based on 16S rRNA hybridization.

Subgroups Thuringiensis A and Thuringiensis B include strains which contain two and five subgroup-specific sequence differences respectively, C/A (1015) and C/T (192) being shared among the two subgroups. These two subgroups include mainly B. thuringiensis strains. Two strains in the subgroup Thuringiensis B (B. thuringiensis 4Q281 and B. thuringiensis IAM12077 which was also named B. thuringiensis NCIMB9134 or B. thuringiensis OSM2046) have identical 16S rRNA sequences. Two other strains within this subgroup, B. medusa ATCC25621 and B. medusa NCIMB10437, should be identical according to Bergey's Manual. However, according to sequencing (Table 2) and hybridization studies (FIG. 4), strain B. medusa ATCC25621 does not contain the subgroup-specific signature C/T(192), whereas according to published sequences, B. medusa NCIMB10437 does contain this sequence variant.

In the last two subgroups, Mycoides A and Mycoides B, five B. mycoides strains group in subgroup Mycoides A, and four fall under subgroup Mycoides B. Psychrotolerant strains B. weihenstephanensis DSM11821 and B. cereus strs. WSBC 10201, 10204, 10206 and 10210, which have been characterized as B. weihenstephanensis, were also included in subgroup Mycoides A. Subgroup Mycoides B contains B. cereus ki21 and B. pseudomycoides, which may have split off from the other two isolates (B. mycoides ATCC-10206 and B. mycoides ATCC 6462m) in this subgroup rather early in their evolution, as they have a large number of strain-specific sequence differences (Table 2).

Example 4 Grouping of Microorganisms in B. cereus Group According to 23S rRNA Sequences

Based on a similar analysis of 23S rRNA sequences (FIG. 2) the B. cereus group strains could be divided into six subgroups. These divisions were consistent with the phylogenetic tree inferred using the computer program “Clustalx” (FIG. 3B). These 23S-based subgroups correspond to six of the seven 16S-based subgroups, namely Anthracis, Cereus A and B, Thuringiensis B and Mycoides A and B (Tables 2 and 3). There were no 23S rRNA sequences available for any of the organisms from the subgroup Thuringiensis A. Therefore, based on the available data, division of the B. cereus group members into the specified subgroups is supported by both the 16S and 23S rRNA. Also, as with the 16S rRNA sequences, all B. anthracis strains had identical 23S rRNA sequences.

Subgroup Cereus A (Table 3) contains B. thuringiensis B8 and B. cereus NCTC11143. The 23S rRNA sequences of these two organisms include alterations at positions 594, 1559 and an insertion G(1219) (FIG. 2 and Table 3). The third member of the subgroup, B. cereus HER1414, whose rRNA operon is not sequenced yet, contains subgroup-specific signatures in positions 1218 and 1559. These signatures were found in the hybridization experiments disclosed herein. The third subgroup-specific signature, at position 594, was not tested for this strain. The 23S rRNA sequence of B. cereus WSBC10030 was sequenced only partially (FIG. 2, Table 3). It does not contain any signatures that are specific for any other subgroups, but also does not cover subgroup-specific sites for Cereus A subgroup. For this reason B. cereus WSBC10030 (Table 2 and 3) and other five strains, B. cereus strs. BSID723, WSBC10037, 1396 and B. sp. JJ#1 (Table 2) were placed into Cereus A subgroup conditionally. Final discrimination of these isolates from Anthracis subgroup bacteria awaits testing of the 23S rRNA sequences of these microorganisms.

B. cereus T, B. cereus NCTC9620, B. cereus DSM31 (also named B. cereus IAMI2605, B. cereus NCD01771) B. thuringiensis WS2614, and B. thuringiensis WS2617 were placed in subgroup Cereus B based on both the 16S and 23S sequence comparisons. Unfortunately, 23S rRNA sequences available for both B. thuringiensis strains do not extend beyond position 527 from the 5′-end of the gene.

Subgroup Thuringiensis B consists of three strains, B. thuringiensis 4Q281, B. medusa ATCC25621 and B. thuringiensis DSM2046 (also named B. thuringiensis IAMI207 or B. thuringiensis NCM9134). Sequences of the 16S rRNAs are available for all three bacteria, (Table 2). A finding from the 23S rRNA sequence analysis was the relationship between subgroups Thuringiensis B and Mycoides B. According to the 16S rRNA sequences, subgroups Thuringiensis B and Mycoides B do not share any subgroup-specific sequence signatures (FIG. 1, Table 2). However, subgroups Thuringiensis B and Mycoides B do share eight positional variants in their 23S rRNA sequences (FIG. 2, Table 3). This 23S rRNA data suggests that the organisms in these two groups may be phylogenetically related (FIG. 3B).

B. mycoides 2048T, B. mycoides MWS5303-1-4 and B. cereus WSBC10206 according to their 16S rRNA sequences belongs to subgroup Mycoides A. Unfortunately, only 527 nucleotides of sequence from the 5′-end of these 23S rRNAs are available for the last two organisms, however, they revealed enough variations to be discriminated from members of all other subgroups (Table 3, FIG. 2).

The clustering of subgroup-specific sequence variants demonstrated by the present invention provided the basis for the design of a number of diagnostic oligonucleotide probes for the identification of each of the different subgroups within the B. cereus group. In addition, some of the sequence variants were useful for the design of probes for the identification of individual strains.

Example 5 Design of Subgroup-Specific Probes

Results of the 16S and 23S rRNA gene sequencing indicated that microorganism identification within the B. cereus group would require single base mismatch discrimination. The optimal probe length was determined, taking into account the increased efficiency of mismatch discrimination which results from decreased probe length, and the increased specificity of hybridization, duplex stability, and hence hybridization signal intensity, which results from longer probes. Computer analysis of rRNA sequences available from the Ribosomal Data Project website (http://www.cme.msu.edu/RDP) indicated that 10-15 base long probes would not provide adequate specificity, the optimum probe length was determined to be 17-23 bases long.

The sequences complementary to the probes, which were selected are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and Table 5. The degree of matching between the probes and the rRNA sequences of the eight reference microorganisms is shown in Table 4. The location of the 16S rRNA probes on the microchip is shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. The microchip on FIG. 4 includes three pairs of probes for identification of bacteria from subgroup Thuringiensis B (ps1/ps2, ps3/ps4 and ps5/ps6), one pair for identification of organisms from subgroups Thuringiensis A and B, five pairs for identification of Mycoides B subgroup bacteria (ps9/ps10, ps11/ps12, ps13/ps14, ps15/ps16 and ps19/ps20), and one pair for discrimination of subgroups Anthracis, Cereus A, and Mycoides B from subgroups Cereus B and Thuringienses A, B (ps17/ps18). The combined application of these probes provides a basis for distinguishing subgroup Anthracis from all other subgroups except Cereus A. Most bacteria of subgroup Cereus A revealed strain-specific sequence variation. Although some isolates in this subgroup have 16S rRNA sequences identical to B. anthracis (Table 2), these organisms do differ from B. anthracis in 23S rRNA sequences (FIG. 2). Therefore, probe pairs designed were ps 21/ps22 and ps23/ps24 (FIG. 2) for the discrimination of subgroups Anthracis and Cereus A using a sequence difference located respectively at positions 1559 and 1219 in the 23S rRNA molecule (Table 3).

Example 6 Identification Strategy for Subgroups and Reference Microorganisms

Eight reference organisms were selected (B. anthracis Ames, B. thuringiensis B8, B. cereus T, B. cereus 9620, B. thuringiensis 4Q281, B. medusa 25621, B. mycoides 6462m and B. mycoides 10206) to demonstrate the ability of microchips to differentiate subgroups Anthracis, Cereus A and B, Thuringiensis B and Mycoides B. Objectives were to determine if organisms from these closely related subgroups could be discriminated (as determined by 16S and 23S rRNA analysis), to determine if bacteria whose rRNA sequences differed by only one base could be discriminated, and to determine if B. anthracis could be discriminated from closely related species in the B. cereus group. Results of hybridization of LissRhod labeled total RNA of the reference bacteria with a microchip containing selected probes are shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5B.

Example 7 Identification of B. mycoides ATCC 6462m and B. mycoides ATCC 10206 (Subgroup Mycoides B)

The results from microchip hybridizations (FIG. 4) were identical for these two references B. myocoides strains. These results demonstrate the reproducibility of the microchip technique for characterizing independent isolates having identical rRNA sequences. The 16S rRNAs of B. mycoides 6462m and 10206 form perfect duplexes with probes ps10, ps12, ps14, ps16 and ps20 (set #1) but include mismatches with probes ps7(ps9), ps11, ps13, ps15 and ps19 (set #2). All other reference bacteria contain mismatches for set #1 probes and form perfect matches with set #2, except B. thuringiensis 4Q281 (subgroup Thuringiensis B), as well as organisms of Thuringiensis A subgroups, which contain one mismatch for probes ps7(ps9) and ps11 (FIG. 1 and Table 4). Microorganisms that belong to subgroup Mycoides A contain two mismatches with probes ps9 and ps11 and one mismatch with probe ps13 (FIG. 1).

Example 8 Identification of B. thuringiensis 4Q281 (Subgroup Thuringiensis B)

Probe pair ps7(ps9)/ps8 is specific for subgroups Thuringiensis A, B (FIG. 1). Probe ps8 forms a perfect match with B. thuringiensis 4Q281 16S rRNA and contains one or three mismatches for 16S rRNAs of all other reference bacteria. In contrast, probe ps7(ps9) contains a mismatch for B. thuringiensis 4Q281, and forms perfect matches with all other reference bacteria except B. mycoides (strains 6462m and 10206), which have two mismatches with probe ps7 (FIG. 1 and Table 4). Organisms from subgroup Mycoides A have three mismatches with probe ps7 (ps9) and two mismatches with probe ps8. Three probes from set #2, ps13, ps15 and ps19, form perfect match with 16S rRNA of B. thuringiensis 4Q281. In set #1 probe ps16 contains one mismatch, as well as probes ps14 and ps20 contain two mismatches for this bacteria.

Example 9 Differentiation of B. medusa ATCC 25621 and B. thuringiensis 4Q281

Probe pairs ps1/ps2, ps3/ps4 and ps5/ps6 are subgroup-specific for subgroup Thuringiensis B (FIG. 1, Table 4). Probe set #3 (ps2, ps4, and ps6) forms perfect duplexes with the 16S rRNA of B. medusa ATCC 25621 and B. thuringiensis 4Q281 and mismatches with 16S rRNAs of all other reference microorganisms. In contrast, probe set #4 (ps1, ps3 and ps5) forms mismatches with RNA isolated from B. medusa 25621 and B. thuringiensis 4Q281 and perfect matches with 16S rRNA of all five other reference bacteria. B. medusa 25621 and B. thuringiensis 4Q281 can be discriminated based on probe ps8, which forms a perfect duplex only with B. thuringiensis 4Q281 (FIG. 4, Table 4).

Therefore, hybridization of 16S rRNA from bacteria of the B. cereus group with probes from region 77-92 can be used to discriminate microorganisms of subgroup Thuringiensis B from bacteria of all other subgroups, and it is especially important for the discrimination between subgroups Thuringiensis A and B.

Example 10 Identification of B. anthracis Ames (Subgroup Anthracis)

Probe ps17 is specific for subgroups Anthracis, Cereus A, and Mycoides B, forming perfect duplexes with 16S rRNA from B. anthracis Ames, B. thuringiensis B8 and B. mycoides 6462m/10206, and mismatches with all other reference microorganisms (FIG. 1 and Table 4). In contrast, probe ps18 contains a mismatch for B. anthracis Ames, B. thuringiensis B8 and B. mycoides ATCC 6462/ATCC10206, and is a perfect match with all other references microorganisms. Discrimination of B. anthracis Ames and B. thuringiensis B8 from B. mycoides ATCC 6462/ATCC10206 can be based on a “perfect” signal for probe ps17 (compare with ps18) in combination with “mismatch” signal for probe set #1 (FIG. 4, Table 4). Microorganisms of subgroup Mycoides A have one additional mismatch with probes ps17 and ps18.

Example 11 Identification of B. cereus T (Subgroup Cereus B)

Identification of B. cereus (strain T) can be established based on perfect match signals for probes ps18, ps7(ps9), and for probe sets #2 and #4 (FIG. 1, 4 Table 4).

Example 12 Identification of B. thuringiensis B8 (Subgroup Cereus A)

Organisms that belong to subgroup Cereus A contain 16S rRNA sequences that are identical to B. anthracis Ames (subgroup Anthracis) or that differ from B. anthracis Ames by strain-specific sequence variation only (Table 2). Thus, 23S rRNA sequences were used to differentiate bacteria from subgroup Cereus A and B. anthracis Ames. The 23S rRNA sequences of B. thuringiensis B8 and B. cereus NCTC11143 differ from B. anthracis Ames at three sites, Y/C (594), insertion G (1218-1219) and G/A (1559) (FIG. 2, Table 3). Two pairs of probes were used, ps21/ps22 and ps23/ps24 (FIG. 2) to target sites 1559 and 1219, respectively. Probes ps21 and ps23 form a perfect duplex with the 23S rRNA of B. anthracis Ames but not B. thuringiensis B8 and B. cereus NCTC11143 23S rRNA. Probes ps22 and ps24 provide complementary information, by having a mismatch with B. anthracis Ames 23S rRNA and being complementary to B. thuringiensis B8 and B. cereus NCTC11143 23S rRNAs (FIGS. 2, 5A). The discriminative feasibility of 23S rRNA probes ps21/ps22 and ps23/ps24 was tested by using B. cereus HER1414, whose rRNA genes were not sequenced. B. cereus HER1414 and B. anthracis Sterne revealed the same hybridization pattern after hybridization with a 16S rRNA microchip (FIG. 5B, ps18/ps17 shown only). A set of 23S rRNA probe pairs ps21/ps22 and ps23/ps24 successfully discriminated B. cereus HER1414 and B. thuringiensis B8 from B. anthracis Sterne with the hybridization signal ratio for these two pairs being 0.7, 0.4, 2.2 and 0.7, 0.4, 1.7, respectively (FIG. 5B).

Example 13 Identification of Polymorphic Sites

Partial (about 80% of total) sequencing of the B. anthracis Ames genome (TIGR website http://www.tigr.org) indicated that organisms from the B. cereus group may contain at least ten copies of the rRNA operon. Considerable polymorphism of these genes at some sites (for example 1:1 ratio of C:T at position 594 of 23S rRNA) has been demonstrated (TIGR website http://www.tigr.org). Sequencing revealed two polymorphic sites in the 23S rRNA molecule at positions 594 and 1559 for a number of microorganisms of the B. cereus group (FIG. 2 and Table 3). For example B. cereus T, B. thuringiensis 4Q281 and B. cereus 9620 have polymorphisms in their 23S rRNA genes at site 1559 with G:A ratios equal to 1.5:1, 1:1 and 1:3.5, respectively. At the same time, B. anthracis Ames and B. mycoides 10206 have a G in this site, and B. thuringiensis B8 has an A in this position (FIG. 2). The possibility of recognizing polymorphisms in this site was demonstrated by using a pair of probes, ps21/ps22. For these probes the hybridization signal ratio for B. cereus T, B. thuringiensis 4Q281 and B. cereus 9620 have been found to be intermediate (1.0, 0.72 and 0.64, respectively) between B. anthracis Ames, or B. mycoides 10206 (1.8 and 1.5, respectively) and B. thuringiensis B8 (0.45) (FIG. 5A).

Example 14 Identification of Mixtures

The 16S rRNA of B. cereus 9620 and B. anthracis Ames differ from each other in only one nucleotide. Nevertheless, not only homogeneous samples of these bacteria were discriminated, but also mixtures of RNA from these two microorganisms (FIG. 6A). The ratio of probes ps17/ps18, species-specific to these bacteria, is 1:3 for B. cereus 9620 and 8:1 for B. anthracis Ames. A 2:3 mixture of RNA from B. cereus 9620 and B. anthracis Ames, respectively, revealed 3:2 ratio (FIG. 6A). Identification of 10:1 mixture of B. thuringiensis B8 RNA and B. thuringiensis 4Q281 RNA were demonstrated. The identification of microorganisms and their relative content in the mixture was determined using three pairs, ps5/ps6, ps7/ps8, and ps17/ps18 (FIG. 6B). The signal changes were different for different probe pairs. For correct estimation of the percentage in the mixture, a calibration would be required for each pair separately. Even without quantitative interpretation of the results variance from the expected hybridization ratios suggests the presence of both target groups.

Example 15 Cross-Hybridization of Selected Probes with Non-Target Bacteria

The number of subgroup-specific differences in rRNA sequences for bacteria from the B. cereus group are few and localized. This creates difficulties in the selection of probes specific to individual subgroups of bacteria. For example, the sequences of two of the twenty probes on the microchip (ps17 and ps20) (FIG. 1) selected for identification of B. cereus group reference microorganisms also match the 16S rRNA sequences of a number of bacteria that belong to other groups of the genus Bacillus. The use of probes targeting the entire B. cereus group and for some other groups may resolve this problem. To demonstrate this, probe ps25 was designed to match all known sequences of B. cereus microorganisms and probe ps26 to target the B. subtilis group (B. subtilis, B. amiloliquifaciens, B. lentimorbus, B. popilliae, and B. atrophaeus). Hybridization analysis indicated that these probes effectively differentiated B. subtilis B-459 from B. anthracis Ames, B. cereus T, B. mycoides 10206, and B. thuringiensis 4Q281 (FIG. 7). Thus, the B. cereus group probes can be used as an internal check to validate probes ps17 and ps20.

Materials and Methods

Bacterial Strains

Ten strains belonging to the B. cereus group: B. anthracis str. Ames ANR, B. anthracis str. DeltaAmes-1, B. thuringiensis str. B8, B. cereus str. NCTC9620, B. cereus str. T, B. thuringiensis str. 4Q281, B. medusa str. ATCC25621, B. mycoides str ATCC6462m, and B. mycoides str. ATCC10206 (Table 2) were obtained from Dr. John Ezzell, USAMRIID (The U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Md.). Two of these strains were isolated as an occasional admixture from a culture previously identified as B. mycoides str. ATCC6462, revealed different colony morphology and received strain numbers, B. mycoides str. ATCC6462m and B. mycoides str. ATCC10206.

Sequencing of 16S and 23S rRNA Genes

Total DNA was isolated from frozen cell pellets by the guanidine extraction method. 16S rDNA and 23S rRNA were amplified from total genomic DNA for 10 strains. For each amplification reaction, 0.1 μg of bacterial DNA was subjected to PCR in a total volume of 100 μl, with 2.5 units of Taq polymerase (Perkin-Elmer, Boston, Mass.), 50 mM KCl, 10 mM Tris-HCl pH 8.3, 1.5 mM MgCl2, 0.01% (w/v) gelatin, 200 μM of each dNTP (dATP, dCTP, dGTP, TTP), and 6 μM of each of two primers. The primers used for 16S rDNA and 23S rDNA amplification are listed in Table 1. The thermal profile included denaturation at 94° C. for 2 min, primer annealing at 45° C. for 2 min, and extension at 72° C. for 2 min and then 35 cycles of denaturation at 94° C. for 15 sec, primer annealing at 45° C. for 15 sec, and extension at 72° C. for 4 min. DNA was purified using QIAquick PCR Purification Kit (QIAGEN Inc., Valencia, Calif.) and purified PCR products were directly sequenced by the cycle sequencing method using AmpliTaq DNA polymerase FS (Perkin-Elmer, Boston, Mass.), fluorescently labeled dye-terminators, and 373A fluorescent sequencer (ABI; Perkin-Elmer, Boston, Mass.). Sequencing primers are shown in Table 1.

Development of Expanded Sequence Databases

All 16S and 23S rRNA sequences for members of the B. cereus group available in GenBank were retrieved. Thirty-three 16S rRNA sequences obtained from the GenBank database and one from “The Institute of Genomic Research (TIGR) were aligned with eleven 16S rRNA sequences independently determined herein, including one B. anthracis strain (Sterne) resequenced is part of the invention (Table 2). Software developed in the inventors' lab was used for comparative analysis and probe design.

Six complete and five partial sequences of 23S rRNA for B. cereus group bacteria were obtained from GenBank and TIGR. These were aligned with nine additional 23S rRNA sequences for the B. cereus group determined in this study and one B. anthracis strain (Sterne) resequenced as part of the invention (Table 3).

Creation of Phylogenetic Tree

The 16S and 23S rRNA sequence databases were also used to create an unrooted phylogenetic tree for all of the strains in the database. These trees were created using the multiple sequence alignment computer program “Clustalx”. All positions of nucleotides in analyzed alignment of sequences, where unidentified nucleotides N were found, were excluded from consideration for all microorganisms whose sequences were included in the alignment.

Design of Oligonucleotide Probes

The following strategy was used for the probe design. Each unique 16S rRNA sequence was used to create a set of all 20-mer oligonucleotides possible for that sequence (the set consisted of L-19 overlapping oligonucleotides, where L denotes the length of the entire 16S rRNA sequence). Each of these 20-mer overlapping oligonucleotides was then considered as a potential probe. Each potential probe was tested against all available 16S rRNA sequences (GenBank and RDP) by an algorithm that estimates the relative duplex stability according to the number and position of mismatches. If the 16S rRNA of any microorganism that did not belong to the target group (genus, species, or subgroup) of interest formed stable duplexes with any oligonucleotide considered as a potential probe for the microchip, this oligonucleotide was excluded from the list of probes, except probes ps17 and ps20 specifically mentioned in Example 15.

Oligonucleotide Microchip Design and Construction

DNA microchips were constructed with ten or 31 pairs of oligonucleotide probes targeting 16S rRNA and 23S rRNA sequences (see FIG. 1 and FIG. 8) and two group-specific probes (ps25 and ps26), two pairs of oligonucleotide probes targeting 23S rRNA sequences (ps21 and ps22, see FIG. 2) except probe ps26 which was 19 bases long. Each probe was 20 bases long. Oligonucleotides were synthesized on an automatic DNA/RNA synthesizer (Applied Biosystems 394) using standard phosphoramide chemistry. 5′-Amino-Modifier C6 (Glen Research, Sterling, Va.) was linked to the 5′-end of the oligonucleotides. A micromatrix containing 100- by 100- by 20 μm polyacrylamide gel pads fixed on a glass slide and spaced 200 μm from each other was manufactured by photopolymerization, and activated as described herein. Six nl of individual 1 mM amino-oligonucleotide solutions was applied to each gel pad containing aldehyde groups according to the procedure described below.

Determination of Relative Duplex Stability

To determine the relative duplex stability wherein the amount of positions where the microorganisms may be differentiated was restricted, and were tested all positions synthesizing all reasonable oligo pairs around each site of differentiation, oligos were applied onto the chip and hybridized with labeled RNA from appropriate microorganisms. Pairs of oligos that revealed the highest signal in combination with highest perfect signal/mismatch signal ratio were selected.

Preparation of Acrylamide Micro-Matrices by Photo-Polymerization

Preparation of Glass Slides

-   -   1. Immerse 10 glass slides in 10 M sodium hydroxide in a Wheaton         glass-slide container (volume 150 ml) for 30 minutes.     -   2. Rinse with five changes of double-distilled water in a         container.     -   3. Immerse 10 slides in concentrated sulfuric acid in container         for 30 minutes     -   4. Rinse five times in double-distilled water and allow to stand         in double distilled water for 5 minutes then rinse again.     -   5. Remove water drops with nitrogen stream. Dry for 1 h at 60°         C.

Treatment of Cleaned Slide with Bind Silane.

Immerse slides in 3-(Trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate and incubate for 40 h min at 37° C.

Rinse thoroughly with ethanol and then double-distilled water and dry under a nitrogen stream.

Preparation of Solutions for Aldehyde Matrices

-   -   1. Composition of 5% polyacrylamide solution 0.5 ml 40%         Acrylamide/Bis solution (19:1) 1.82 ml 0.2M sodium phosphate         buffer (consists of equal volumes of 0.2M sodium phosphate         monobasic monohydrate and 0.2M sodium phosphate dibasic         anhydrous pH=6.8, store at 4° C.).     -   1.6 ml glycerol     -   0.08 ml monomer I solution (N-(5,6-di-O-isopropylidene)hexyl         acrylamide). For monomer I solution add 1 ml MilliQ water to         aliquot of monomer I stock (25 mg) located in −80° C. freezer.         Aliquot and store these at −20° C. for approximately 1 month.     -   2. filter.     -   3. Prepare solution weekly and store at 4° C. Allow solution to         reach room temperature before use.

Assembly of Gel-Casting Cassette.

-   -   1. Clean mask surface with ethanol.     -   2. Rinse thoroughly with distilled water stream rubbing briskly         with lint-free tissue.     -   3. Dry under a nitrogen stream.     -   4. Place spacers (audio tape film) on chrome side of mask; two         spacers from both sides and one in the center.     -   5. Place slide over mask and spacers with treated surface facing         mask.     -   6. Clamp in place.

Photo-Polymerization (Optimized for 4-Cluster Mask).

Prepare mixture: 100 μl of above polyacrylamide solution

-   -   0.4 μl Methylene blue (0.04%)     -   1.2 μl TEMED     -   Vortex 3 seconds     -   Degas solution 3 min     -   1. Pipette mixture between the slide and the mask allowing the         solution to move between the space by capillary action. Take         care that air does not enter the pipette or space. Pipette off         excess solution.     -   2. Turn cassette over so that glass slide is underneath the         mask. Place in Oriel chamber.     -   3. Irradiate for 300 sec.     -   4. Carefully disassemble the cassette under water using the         point of a scalpel to separate the slide and mask (the slide         floats free without pressure being placed on the gel elements.)         Take care not to scratch mask.     -   5. Rinse 30 seconds under running distilled water and soak in         distilled water for 15 minutes     -   6. Air dry in a laminar-flow hood     -   7. Keep in dust-free slide box at room temperature. Matrices can         be kept for at least 1 year.

Procedure for Activation (Deprotection) of Aldehyde Matrices

-   -   1. Place matrix in 2% trifluoro-acetic acid for 10 minutes at         room temperature (prepare fresh solution after every 10         microchips).     -   2. Rinse well (5 or 6 times) with filtered distilled water for 1         min     -   3. Wash in distilled water X3 times then leave 3-5 mins in last         rinse and dry 20 min in air.     -   4. Put slide into Repel Silane™ (use fresh solution for each         treatment) for one minute.     -   5. Wash with acetone or dichloromethane (15 sec) and then         thoroughly with tap-distilled water (15 sec under stream).     -   6. Load oligonucleotides.     -   7. Put microchip into freshly prepared solution of         pyridine-borane complex in chloroform (0.1M)(80 ml chloroform/1         ml pyridine borane) and cover chloroform layer with water;         (approx ¼ inch) hold 12 hours at room temperature (O. N.)     -   8. Wash microchip with distilled water.     -   9. Place microchip into 0.1M sodium borohydride on microchip for         20 min.     -   10. Wash with distilled water 1 min.     -   11. Heat microchip in 0.1×SSPE with 0.1% SDS at 60° C. for 1 h         (50 ml).     -   12. Wash biochip in Hybridization Station for 15 min on a         stirrer.     -   13. Wash with distilled water 1 min.     -   14. Dry microchip in a dust-free environment in the air for 20         min.     -   15. The chip is now ready for hybridization. The chip could be         kept at room temperature.

Standardized Sources of Chemicals and Equipment

-   -   1. DEPC-Treated Water (Ambion, cat#9920)     -   2. 0.5M EDTA, pH 8.0 (Ambion, cat#9260G)     -   3. Eppendorf Centrifuge 5417C (Fisher, cat#05-406-11)     -   4. Eppendorf microcentrifuge tubes, 1.5 ml (Fisher,         cat#05-402-24B)     -   5. Acetone (Sigma, cat#A4206)     -   6. Guanidine Thiocyanate (Fisher, cat#BP221-1)     -   7. 1M HEPES (Sigma, cat#H4034)     -   8. Hybridization chamber: Probe-Clip Press-Seal Incubation         Chamber (Sigma, cat#Z36,157-7)     -   9. Kimwipes (Fisher, cat#06-666A)     -   10. 20×SSPE (Sigma, cat#S2015)     -   11. Tween 20 (Fisher, cat#BP337-100)     -   12. Imaging Chamber (Sigma, cat#Z36,585-8)     -   13. Ultrafree-MC 0.45 μm filter unit (Millipore, cat#UFC30HVNB)     -   14. Triton X-100 (Sigma, cat#T9284)     -   15. Ethyl Alcohol, absolute 200 proof, 99.5%, A.C.S. reagent         (Aldrich, cat#45,984-4)     -   16. QIAquick PCR Purification Kit (50) (Qiagen, cat#28104)     -   17. Taq DNA Polymerase (includes 10×PCR reaction buffer)         (Amersham Pharmacia Biotech, cat#T0303Z)     -   18. PCR Nucleotide Mix: PCR nucleotide mix (10 mM each dATP,         dCTP, dGTP, dTTP) (Amersham Pharmacia Biotech, cat# US77212)     -   19. Sonicated Salmon Sperm DNA, Phenol Extracted (Amersham         Pharmacia Biotech, cat#27-4565-01)     -   20. Albumin from bovine serum, 20 mg/ml in water (Sigma,         cat#B8667)     -   21. Luer Lok syringe, 60 cc/2 oz, B-D (Fisher cat#14-823-2D)     -   22. Millex-GN 0.20 filter units (Millipore, cat#SLGN025NS)

An example of a customized microchip is shown in FIG. 8 and Table 5.

RNA Isolation

Total RNA was isolated from frozen cell pellets of eight B. cereus group bacteria: B. anthracis Ames, B. thuringiensis B8, B. cereus T, B. cereus 9620, B. thuringiensis 4Q281, B. medusa 25621, B. mycoides 6462m and B. mycoides 10206. Cells were lysed by bead beating the cell pellet (approx. 0.2 g) in the presence of 0.5 g baked zirconium oxide beads (0.1 mm), 500 μl phenol (pH 5.1), 500 μl 0.1 M sodium acetate, pH 5.1, and 50 μl 20% SDS at high speed for 2 min, followed by incubation at 65° C. for 10 minutes and an additional bead-beating step for 2 minutes at high speed. RNA was isolated by phenol extraction and precipitated by addition of 0.5 volumes of 7.5 M ammonium acetate and 2.5 volumes of ethanol. Following storage at −80° C. overnight the RNA was recovered by centrifugation at 14,000 rpm for 5 min, washing the RNA pellets two times with ethanol, and resuspending in diethyl pyrocarbonate (DEPC)-treated H2O.

Magnesium-Sodium Periodate Fragmentation of RNA and Dye Labeling

RNA (10 to 20 μg) and DEPC treated H20 were combined and preheated at 95° C. for 5 min. MgCl2 was added to 60 mM (total volume 20 μl) and the reaction solution was heated at 95° C. for 40 min. Phosphatase treatment was carried out by addition of 3 μl 10× alkaline phosphatase buffer (Promega, Madison, Wis.) and 0.2 μl alkaline phosphatase (1 U/μl) (Promega, Madison, Wis.) and heating at 37° C. for 30 min. Oxidation of the 3′-end ribose moiety was conducted by addition of 6.5 PI of 100 mM sodium periodate and incubation at room temperature for 20 min. Labeling was carried out by addition of 3.5 μl of 100 mM Lissamine rhodamine B ethylenediamine (LissRhod) (Molecular Probes, Eugene, Oreg.), 1.65 μl of 1 M HEPES (pH 7.5) and heating at 37° C. for 1 h. Reduction of Schiff base was conducted by addition of 6.7 μl of 200 mM sodium cyanoborohydride and incubation at room temperature for 30 min. Labeled RNA was precipitated by addition of 15 volumes of 2% lithium perchlorate in acetone and storage at −20° C. for 20 min. After centrifugation at 14,000 rpm for 5 min, RNA pellets were washed twice with acetone and dried at 55° C. for 10 min.

Excess LissRhod was removed from RNA by butanol treatment: RNA pellets were suspended in 300 μl DEPC-treated H2O, and samples were concentrated to 60 μl by removal of water with butanol. Treatment was repeated until butanol was free of color. RNA was precipitated in 2% LiClO4 in acetone at −20° C. for 20 min. After centrifugation at 14,000 rpm for 5 min, RNA pellets were washed twice with acetone, dried at 55° C. for 10 min, and suspended in 10 to 20 μl DEPC treated H2O.

Hybridization with Microchips

The 35 μl of hybridization solution containing 0.1 to 1 μg fragmented and labeled RNA, 1M guanidine thiocyanate (GuSCN), 5 mM EDTA, and 40 mM HEPES (pH 7.5) was passed through a 0.22μ filter to remove particulates, then heated at 95° C. for 3 min and placed on ice. Thirty μl of the hybridization solution was added to a hybridization chamber (Grace Biolabs, Bend, Oreg.), and the hybridization chamber was affixed to a microchip. The microchip was allowed to hybridize overnight at room temperature in the dark. After hybridization, the chamber and hybridization solution were removed from the microchip, and the microchip washed twice for 10 sec each with 100 μl washing buffer. Washing buffer consisted of 0.9 M NaCl, 50 mM sodium phosphate (pH 7.0), 6 mM EDTA, and 1% Tween 20.

Hybridization Data Analysis

After hybridization the microchips were analyzed with a custom made wide-field-high-aperture fluorescence microscope (Vavilov State Optical Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia) equipped with a cooled CCD camera (Princeton Instruments, Acton, Mass.), a thermal table, and XY positioners, and operated with a computer with specially designed software. Parameters of the microscope are as follows: field of view 4 mm by 4 mm, aperture 0.4, working distance 12 mm. Up to 144 individual gel elements with the size of 100- by 100- by 20 μm spaced by 100 μm may be analyzed in parallel in one field of view. Images were captured with WinView Software (Princeton Instruments). The hybridization data was quantified from the WinView image using software (Lab View, version 4.0.1 and MicroChip Imager, Oleg Alferov).

Table 1. Primers used for PCR and for sequencing of 16S and 23S rRNA genes of B. cereus groups bacteria ^((a)). (SEQ ID NOS 27-56, respectively, in order of appearance)

TABLE 1 Primers used for PCR and for sequencing of 16S and 23S rRNA genes of B. cereus groups bacteria ^((a)). (SEQ ID NOS 27-56, respectively, in order of appearance) Name Sequence Location P1 5′ - GTT TGA TCC TGG CTC AG 11-27 (16S rRNA) P10 5′ - CCA GTC TTA TGG GCA GGT TAC 136-116 (16S rRNA) P11 5′ - TCC ATA AGT GAC AGC CGA AGC 226-206 (16S rRNA) P5 5′ - CTA CGG GAG GCA GCA GTG GG 340-360 (16S rRNA) P3 5′ - GWA TTA CCG CGG CKG CTG 535-517 (16S rRNA) P2 5′ - GGA TTA GAT ACC CTG GTA GT 784-803 (16S rRNA) P6 5′ - CCG TCA ATT CCT TTR AGT TT 926-907 (16S rRNA) P8 5′ - TTC GGG AGC AGA GTG ACA GGT 1029-1049 (16S rRNA) P9 5′ - TAC ACA CCG CCC GTC ACA CCA 1392-1412 (16S rRNA) P4 5′ - RGT GAG CTG TTA CGC 1513-1492 (16S rRNA) Pr1 5′ - CCG AAT GGG GVA ACC C 114-129 (23S rRNA) Pr13 5′ - CCG TTT CGC TCG CCG CTA CTC 262-242 (23S rRNA) PB1 5′ - TAG TGA TCG ATA GTG AAC CAG 485-505 (23S rRNA) Pr2 5′ - CAT TMT ACA AAA GGY ACG C 621-603 (23S rRNA) Pr3 5′ - GCG TRC CTT TTG TAK AAT G 603-621 (23S rRNA) PB2 5′ - TAG TGA TCG ATA GTG AAC CAG 755-736 (23S rRNA) PB3 5′ - TAG TGA TCG ATA GTG AAC CAG 969-990 (23S rRNA) Pr4 5′ - RGT GAG CTR TTA CGC 1151-1137 (23S rRNA) Pr5 5′ - WGC GTA AYA GCT CAC 1136-1150 (23S rRNA) PB4 5′ - CAT ACC GGC ATT CTC ACT TC 1308-1289 (23S rRNA) PB5 5′ - ACA GGC GTA GGC GAT GGA C 1408-1426 (23S rRNA) PB8 5′ - AAC CTT TGG GCG CCT CC 1679-1661 (23S rRNA) Pr6 5′ - CYA CCT GTG WCG GTT T 1673-1659 (23S rRNA) Pr7 5′ - AAA CCG WCA CAG GTR G 1659-1673 (23S rRNA) Pr8 5′ - CAY GGG GTC TTT RCG TC 2092-2076 (23S rRNA) Pr9 5′ - GAC GYA AAG ACC CCR TG 2076-2092 (23S rRNA) Pr10 5′ - GAG YCG ACA TCG AGG 2535-2521 (23S rRNA) Pr11 5′ - CCT CGA TGT CGR CTC 2521-2535 (23S rRNA) Pr12 5′ - GYT TAG ATG CYT TC 2783-2770 (23S rRNA) R1 5′ - GGC GGC GTC CTA CTC TCA C 112-95 (5S rRNA) ^((a))primers P1-P4, Pr1-Pr7 and R1 were used for DNA amplification. All other primers were utilized for sequencing. Primers P8, P9, P10 and P11 were selected de novo, other primers were described previously.

TABLE 2 Classification of bacteria in the Bacillus cereus group according to 16S rRNA sequences Subgroup-specific Start and end Positions of Subgroup name signatures (position)⁽*⁾ of sequence Organism GenBank AC strain-specific variations Anthracis Consensus 11-1556 B. anthracis str. Ames ANR ^(a,e) AF155950, TIGR^(g) — 11-1556 B. anthracis str. DeltaAmes-1 ^(b) AF155951 — 11-1556 B. anthracis str. Sterne ^(d) AF176321^(a) —  1-1453 B. anthracis str. Sterne X55059 del C(942)^(b) 61-528, B. anthracis str. 1 *** — 815-1503 61-528, B. anthracis str. 2 *** — 815-1503 Cereus A Consensus 11-1556

AF155955 —  1-1453 B. cereus str. NCTC11143 X55063 — — B. cereus str. HER1414 ^(f) — ? 31-1464 B. sp. str. JJ#1 ^(h) Y15466 — 28-1536 B. sp. str. BSID723 ^(h) AF027659 1232 49-1524 B. cereus str. WSBC10037 ^(h) Z84576 178 49-1524 B. cereus str. WSBC10030 ^(h) Z84575 353, 600, 864, 1146 28-1515 B. cereus str. 1396 ^(h) AF206326 181, 467, 480, 482, 590, 995, 1146, 1244, 1345 Cereus B

11-1556

AF155952 — 11-1556

AF176322 — 28-1515 B. cereus str. IAM12605 D16266 —  1-1453 B. cereus str. NCD01771 or DSM31 X55060 — 49-1524 B. cereus str. ATCC27877 Z84581 828 26-1183 B. cereus AF076031 498, 520, 523, 829, 1167 49-1524 B. thuringiensis str. WS2614 Z84584 127 49-1524 B. thuringiensis str. WS2617 Z84585 1153 49-1524 B. thuringiensis str. WS2618 Z84586 725 49-1524 B. thuringiensis str. WS2626 Z84588 — Thuringiensis A

49-1524 B. thuringiensis str. WS2623 Y18473 109, 679, 1228, 1505 C/T(192) 49-1524 B. thuringiensis str. WS2625 Z84587 565, 1183 Thuringiensis B

11-1556

AF155954 — C/T(192) 11-1556

AF155958 no C/T(192) A/G(77), T/C(90), 11-1556 B. medusa str. NCIMB10437 ^(c) X60628 1038, 1383 T/A(92) 28-1515 B. thuringiensis str. IAM12077 or D16281 — DSM2046 —  1-1453 B. thuringiensis str. NCIMB9134 or X55062 182, 186, 187, 769, 822, 823, DSM2046 1281, 1282, 1283, 1301, 1429, 1430, 1463, 1464, 1475, 1476, 1478, 1479  7-1552 B. sp. str. Termite isol. ‘bac’ X81132 Mycoides A

 1-1453 B. mycoides str. DSM2048 ^(d) X55061 — C/T(192) 49-1556 B. mycoides str. MWS5303-1-4 Z84591 1456 G/A(133), C/T(182), 49-1526 B. mycoides str. DRCI AF144645 63, 1279, 1319-1321, 1398, G/A(197), A/G(286) 1439, 1443, 1473, 1479, 1484 C/T(1019), 49-1524 B. mycoides str. MWS5303-2-51 Z84583 180 G/A(1030), 32-1546 B. mycoides str. ATCC6462 ^(d) AB021192 — T/A(1464) 14-1546 B. weihenstephanensis DSM11821 AB021199 — 49-1524 B. cereus str. WSBC10201 Z84577 203, no A/G(286), 1515 49-1524 B. cereus str. WSBC10204 Z84578 128 49-1524 B. cereus str. WSBC10206 Z84579 225, 1519, 1520 49-1524 B. cereus str. WSBC10210 Z84580 60, 375, 1298 Mycoides B A/C(189), T/G(200), 11-1556

AF155956 — G/C(208), T/C(1036), 11-1556

AF155957 — A/G(1045) 34-1374 B. cereus str. Ki21 AJ288157 95, no T/G(200), 202, 329, 752, 778, 793, no T/C(1036), 1350, 1360, 1374  7-1538 B. pseudomycoides sp. nov. AF013121 55, 341, 495, 516, 566, 929, 1017, 1104, 1110, 1121, 1128, 1138 ⁽*⁾for more details see FIG. 1. ^(a)sequenced in this work. ^(b)need to be reexamined, see also Results. ^(c)according to Bergey's Manual, these two strains of B. medusa should be identical. This was not confirmed with 16S rRNA sequencing. ^(d)according to Bergey's Manual, these two strains of B. mycoides should be identical. ^(e)strains selected in this study as reference organisms to demonstrate subgroup identifications. ^(f)not sequenced, identified in this study by 16S/23S rRNA oligonucleotide microchip analysis (see Results). ^(g)partial (about 90%) sequences of whole B. anthracis Ames genome, data of TIGR (http://www.tigr.org). ^(h)final discrimination from Anthracis subgroup will be done after testing 23S rRNA gene sequence (see Results). ***J. Jackman, unpublished. Subgroup-specific mutations, which are highlighted in bold, are identical for two or more subgroups and were placed on separate lines to demonstrate connections between different subgroups.

TABLE 3 Classification of bacteria in the Bacillus cereus group according to 23S rRNA sequences Subgroup-specific Start and end Positions of strain- Subgroup name signatures (position)⁽*⁾ of sequence Organism GenBank AC specific variations Anthracis Consensus 1-2922

AF267734^(a), TIGR^(b) — 1-2922 B. anthracis str. DeltaAmes-1 ^(a) AF267876 — 1-2922 B. anthracis str. Sterne ^(a) AF267877^(a) — 15-2943 B. anthracis str. Sterne S43426 (491)^(e), del(1413, 1414)^(e), (2651)^(f) Cereus A

1-2923

AF267880 — G/A(1559) 1-2923 B. cereus str. NCTC11143 X64646 — Insertion G(1218-1219) 1-527 B. cereus str. WSBC10030 ^(f) Z84589 — — B. cereus str. HER1414 ^(e) — ? Cereus B

1-2922

AF267878 — G/R(1559) 1-2922

AF267879 — T/A(2153) 1-2787 B. cereus str. DSM31 or IAM12605 X94448 (1275), (1559) or NCD01771 1-527 B. thuringiensis str. WS2617 ^(f) Z84594 — 1-527 B. thuringiensis str WS2614 ^(f) Z84593 — Thuringiensis B

1-2922

AF267881 (1559) T/C(157) 1-2922

AF267885 —

1-2784 B. thuringiensis str. DSM2046 or X89895 (57), (413),

IAM12077 or NCIMB9134 ins(479-480), C/T(132), A/T(174) del(541-542), (646), T/A(2153) (670), (1953), G/T(1250) (2055), ins(2556-2557), del(2573) Mycoides A T/C(157) 1-527 B. mycoides str. 2048T Z84592 —

1-527 B. mycoides str. MWS5303-1-4 Z84591 — 1-527 B. cereus str. WSBC10206 Z84590 — C/T(132), A/T(174) C/T(375) Mycoides B Y/T(594) 1-2922

AF267884 — T/C(157) 1-2922

AF267883 —

GA/AG(346, 347), TC/CT(358, 359), C/A(482), C/T(672), A/T(1219), G/T(1268), C/G(1816), G/C(1849), A/G(2159) ⁽*⁾for more details see FIG. 2. ^(a)23S rDNA sequenced in this work. ^(b)partial (about 90%) sequences of whole B. anthracis Ames genome, data of TIGR (http://www.tigr.org). ^(c)not sequenced, identified in this study by 16S/23S rRNA oligonucleotide microchip analysis (see Results). ^(d)strains selected in this study as reference organisms to demonstrate subgroup identifications. ^(e)need to be reexamined (see Results). ^(f)final subgroup discrimination will be done after completion of 23S rRNA sequencing (see Results). R = G, or A. Y = T, or C. Subgroup-specific mutations, which are highlighted in bold, italics or underline denote mutations that are identical for two or more subgroups, and were grouped to demonstrate connections between different subgroups

TABLE 4 Degree of matching between oligonucleotide probes contained on microchip and the 16S and 23S rRNA sequences of eight reference microorganisms from the B. cereus group(*) Probe's target B. thur + B. med B. thur B. mycoides B. anthr. + B. myc all other all other all other all other all other B. thur. B8 ps1 ps3 ps5 ps7 ps9 ps11 ps13 ps15 ps19 ps17 ps21 Probes Probe's name ps2 ps4 ps6 ps8 ps10 ps12 ps14 ps16 ps20 ps18 ps22 Reference B. anthracis AMES +/− +/− +/− +/− +/− +/− +/− +/− +/− +/− +/− organisms B. thuringiensis B8 (B. anthracis mimic) +/− +/− +/− +/− +/− +/− +/− +/− +/− +/− −/+ B. thuringiensis 4Q281 −/+ −/+ −/+ −/+ +/−2 +/−2 +/− +/− +/− −/+ p B. cereus T +/− +/− +/− +/− +/− +/− +/− +/− +/− −/+ p B. cereus NCTC9620 +/− +/− +/− +/− +/− +/− +/− +/− +/− −/+ p B. medusa ATCC25621 −/+ −/+ −/+ +/− +/− +/− +/− +/− +/− −/+ p B. mycoides ATCC10206 +/− +/− +/− +/−3 −/+ −/+ −/+ −/+ −/+ −/+ +/− B. mycoides ATCC6462m +/− +/− +/− +/−3 −/+ −/+ −/+ −/+ −/+ −/+ +/− (*)data obtained from sequences of RNA genes for corresponding bacteria and represents the set of predicted signals after hybridization with labeled RNA from reference microorganisms. + denotes perfect matching − denotes one mismatch −2 denotes two mismatches −3 denotes three mismatches p denotes polymorphism B. thur: B. thuringiensis 4Q281 B. med: B. medusa ATCC25621 B. myc: B. mycoides ATCC10206 and B. mycoides ATCC6462m B. anthr: B. anthracis AMES B. thur. B8: B. thuringiensis B8

TABLE 5 (SEQ ID NOS 57-121, respectively, in order of appearance) Title Sequence Target 23F1 TTT GGG CTA TGT TCC GTT TC not Mycoides A, B 23F2 TTT GGG CTA GAT TCC GTT TC Mycoides A, B 23F5 TAC GGG GTT GTT ACC CTC TA not Mycoides A 23F6 TAC GGG GTT ATT ACC CTC TA Mycoides A 23F7 CTA CGG GGT TGT TAC CCT CT not Mycoides A 23F8 CTA CGG GGT TAT TAC CCT CT Mycoides A 23F5 TAC GGG GTT GTT ACC CTC TA not Mycoides A 23F6 TAC GGG GTT ATT ACC CTC TA Mycoides A 23F7 CTA CGG GGT TGT TAC CCT CT not Mycoides A 23F8 CTA CGG GGT TAT TAC CCT CT Mycoides A #54 CGA ACG CGC CTT TCA ATT TC not Mycoides B SB25 CGA AGC CGC CTT TGA ATT TC Mycoides B SB10 GCC TTT CAA TTT CGA ACC AT not Mycoides B SB11 GCC TTT GAA TTT CGC ACC AT Mycoides B A7 CCC TCT ACG ACG GAC CTT TC not Mycoides B A8 CCC TCT GTG ACG AGC CTT TC Mycoides B 23F3 TTT CCA GGT CGC TTC GTC TA not Mycoides B 23F4 TTT CCA GGC TGC TTC GTC TA Mycoides B SB22 TCT AGG GTT TTC AGA GGA TG not Anthracis, Cereus A, Mycoides B SB23 TCT AGG GTT GTC AGA GGA TG Anthracis, Cereus A, Mycoides B D1 CCG GTT TCA AAG GCT CCC GC Anthracis, Cereus A, Mycoides B D2A CCG GCT TCA ATG GCT CCC GC not Anthracis, Cereus A, Mycoides B B1 GAC CCC TAG TCC AAT CAG TG Anthr, Cer A, B B2 GAC CCC TAG TTC AAT CAG TG Thur B, Myc B B7 TGG TAT CAA TCC GCA GCT TC Anthr, Cer A, B B8 TGG TAT CAA TTC GCA GCT TC Thur B, Myc B C5 ACT TCT AAG CAC TCC ACC AG Anthr, Cer A, B C6 ACT TCT AAG CGC TCC ACC AG Thur B, Myc B C7 TCA CTT CTA AGC ACT CCA CC Anthr, Cer A, B C8 TCA CTT CTA AGC GCT CCA CC Thur B, Myc B A3 ATG TAT TCA GAT AAG GAT AC Anthr, Cer A, B A4 ATG TAT TCA GGT AAG GAT AC Thur B, Myc B 23F13 ATA CCA TT- GGT ATC AAT CCG Anthr 23F14 TA CCA TTC GGT ATC AAT CCG Cer A 23F15 TAC CAT T-G GTA TCA ATC CGC Anthr 23F16 AC CAT TCG GTA TCA ATC CGC Cer A B11 CAC TGA TAC CAT TG- GTA TCA Anthr B12 CAC TGA TAC CAT TCG GTA TCA Cer A C9 GCT CAG CCT TCA CGA TAA GC Anthr C10 GCT CAG CCT TTA CGA TAA GC Cer A C11 CAG CTC AGC CTT CAC GAT AA Anthr C12 CAG CTC AGC CTT TAC GAT AA Cer A SB12 GAA CCA TGC GGT TCA AAA TG not Thur A, B #44 GAA CCA TGC AGT TCA AAA TG Thur A, B SB15 TAA CTT CAT AAG AGC AAG CT not Thur B SB16 TAA CTT CTT GAG AGC AAG CT Thur B SB4 CCG CTA ACT TCA TAA GAG CA not Thur B SB4-1 CCG CTA ACT TCT TGA GAG CA Thur B SB1 AGC TCT TAA TCC ATT CGC TC not Thur B #41 AGC TCT CAA TCC ATT CGC TC Thur B A1 CAT TAC GTA TGG TGG GTT TC not Thur B, Myc A A2 CAT TAC GTA TAG TGG GTT TC Thur B, Myc A A3 ATG TAT TCA GAT AAG GAT AC not Thur B, Myc A, B A4 ATG TAT TCA GGT AAG GAT AC Thur B, Myc A, B A5 TCT GTC TTC CTT ACC CTA TG not Thur B, Myc A A6 TCT GTC TTC CAT ACC CTA TG Thur B, Myc A A9(*) GCC ATC ACC CGT TAA CGG GC not Thur B, Myc B A10(*) GCC ATC ACC CAT TAA CGG GC Thur B, Myc B A11(*) ACG CCA TCA CCC GTT AAC GG not Thur B, Myc B A12(*) ACG CCA TCA CCC ATT AAC GG Thur B, Myc B #55 CAA CTA GCA CTT GTT CTT CC Bacillus cereus group #57 CGG TCT TGC AGC TCT TTG TA Bacillus cereus group #66 ACA GAT TTG TGG GAT TGG CT Bacillus subtilis group #67 ATT CCA GCT TCA CGC AGT C Bacillus subtilis group Hybr. Marker GAT GAT GAT GAT GAT GAT GA Internal standard for hybridization (*)bacteria from subgroup Anthracis produce unpredictable results for these

TABLE 6 Preparation of Complex Buffers for Preparation of Micro-Matrices Chemical/ Solvent/ Final Elementary Concen- Buffer buffer Amount tration Comments Wash Buffer 20 × SSPE 15 ml 3 × Filter by using buffer SSPE Millex GN 0.20 Tween 20 500 μl 1% Filter and Luer Lok (v/v) Syringe, B-D, MQ H2O 34.5 ml — 60 cc/2 oz Note: Discard first 5 ml of Wash Buffer when you start filtration Keep at room temperature 3 × Hybridization 6 M GuSCN 50 ml 3 M Store at room Buffer 1 M HEPES, 15 ml 0.15 M temperature pH 7.5 0.2 M 7.5 ml 15 mM EDTA, pH 8.0 MQ H2O 27.5 ml — Stripping buffer Guanidinium 300 g 4.9 M Store solution at thiocyanate room temperature in 1 M HEPES, 13.2 ml 25 mM a bottle with dark pH 7.5 glass. Use for 20 10% (w/v) 5.2 ml 0.1% stripping procedures Triton X-100 (see below) then Distilled 250 ml prepare a new water portion. NOTE: KEEP ALL BUFFERS IN BOTTLES WITH PLASTIC CAPS

TABLE 7 Materials and Equipment for Perparation of Micro-Matrices Chemicals/ Equipment Manufacturer Catalog # Lot# Acetone Fisher A18-4 11685 Acrylamide/Bis BioRad 161-0144 66767 (19/1) solution 40% 3-(Trimethoxysilyl)- Aldrich Z-6030 03915TI propyl methacrylate Pyridine-borane Aldrich 17,975-2 13905MU complex Glycerol Sigma G-7893 118H0280 Methylene blue Merck 73881 51076 Ethyl Alcohol Aapec Alcohol and N/A 099I15UA (absolute, 200 proof Chemical Co Chloroform Aldrich 31,998-8 CO 09980AO Repel Silane Amersham- 39422 17-332-01 Pharmacia- Biotech Sodium borohydride Aldrich 21,346-2 DU 00220MS Sodium Hydroxide Sigma S-5881 11K0116 Solid Sodium Periodate Aldrich S-1878 11K3644 (meta) Sodium Phosphate, Sigma S-9763 119H0196 dibasic. anhydrous Sodium Phosphate, Fisher S-369 792237 monobasic monohydrate Sulfuric Acid Fisher A300-500 994173 Sodium Dodecyl Sigma L3771 83H08411 Sulfate SSPE, 20× Sigma S-2015 107H8508 (N-(5,6-di-O-iso- Argonne, propylidene)hexyl custom made acrylamide) TEMED Sigma T-7024 67H0136 Trifluoro-acetic Aldrich T6,220-0 8K3483 Acid Filter (0.45 um Millipore SLHV 025 filter unit); LS Millex-HV 0.4 Glass slides, Corning 2947 3□ × 1□ Plain; Mask Nanoflim, California Audio tape film Radioshak XR 60; Type I Clamp. Medium Masterbrand BTM00252 Binger clips Oriel Light Source Oriel Instruments 92532-1000 S/N 139

DOCUMENTS

The following documents are incorporated by reference to the extent they enable the present invention:

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1. A method for detecting an isolate of Bacillus anthracis in a sample, the method comprising: (a) placing on a microchip a set of oligonucleotide probes targeted to rRNA sequences, wherein the set of oligonucleotide probes comprises the probe sequences as set forth in (i) TTT GGG CTA TGT TCC GTT TC (SEQ ID NO: 57) (ii) TTT GGG CTA GAT TCC GTT TC (SEQ ID NO: 58) (iii) CAG CTC AGC CTT CAC GAT AA (SEQ ID NO: 97) (iv) CAG CTC AGC CTT TAC GAT AA (SEQ ID NO: 98) (v) TCT AGG GTT GTC AGA GGA TG (SEQ ID NO: 76) (vi) TCT AGG GTT TTC AGA GGA TG (SEQ ID NO: 75) (vii) CCG CTA ACT TCA TAA GAG CA (SEQ ID NO: 103) (viii) CCG CTA ACT TCT TGA GAG CA (SEQ ID NO: 104) (ix) reverse complement of GCTTCTCCTTCGGGAGCAGA (SEQ ID NO: 19); (x) reverse complement of GCTTCcCCTTCGGGgGCAGA (SEQ ID NO: 20); and (xi) CCC TCT GTG ACG AGC CTT TC (SEQ ID NO: 72) and discriminates among the B. cereus subgroups; (b) providing conditions for hybridization of the probes with nucleic acids from the sample; and (c) analyzing hybridization signals in the microchip to detect Bacillus anthracis.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the oligonucleotide probes are directed to 16S rRNA and 23 S rRNA.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the nucleic acids are labeled.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the labels are fluorescent dyes.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein oligonucleotide probes comprising sequences designated by SEQ ID NOS: 75 and 76 discriminate subgroups Anthracis, Cereus A and Mycoides B from subgroups Cereus B, Thuringiensis A, B and Mycoides A.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein oligonucleotide probes targeted to nucleic acid sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOS: 103-104 discriminate subgroup Thuringiensis B from other subgroups of B. cereus group.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the oligonucleotide probes targeted to nucleic acid sequences as set forth in SEQ ID NOS: 97-98 discriminate subgroups Anthracis, Thuringiensis B and Mycoides from subgroups Cereus A, B.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the oligonucleotide probes targeted to nucleic acid sequences as set forth in SEQ ID NOS: 57-58 discriminate Mycoides A, B from subgroups Anthracis, Cereus A, B and Thuringiensis B.
 9. A method for taxonomically classifying B. cereus group, said method comprising: (a) placing on a microchip a set of oligonucleotide probes targeted to rRNA sequences, wherein the set of oligonucleotide probes comprises the probe sequences as set forth in (i) TTT GGG CTA TGT TCC GTT TC (SEQ ID NO: 57) (ii) TTT GGG CTA GAT TCC GTT TC (SEQ ID NO: 58) (iii) CAG CTC AGC CTT CAC GAT AA (SEQ ID NO: 97) (iv) CAG CTC AGC CTT TAC GAT AA (SEQ ID NO: 98) (v) TCT AGG GTT GTC AGA GGA TG (SEQ ID NO: 76) (vi) TCT AGG GTT TTC AGA GGA TG (SEQ ID NO: 75) (vii) CCG CTA ACT TCA TAA GAG CA (SEQ ID NO: 103) (viii) CCG CTA ACT TCT TGA GAG CA (SEQ ID NO: 104) (ix) reverse complement of GCTTCTCCTTCGGGAGCAGA (SEQ ID NO: 19); (x) reverse complement of GCTTCcCCTTCGGGgGCAGA (SEQ ID NO: 20); and (xi) CCC TCT GTG ACG AGC CTT TC (SEQ ID NO: 72) for B. cereus group isolates; and (b) using the signature profiles of 16S and 23S rRNA sequences and phylogenetic trees to classify the various B. cereus group isolates. 